Apple To Close Security Loophole Exploited By Police In Getting Personal Or Private Data From Locked iPhones

Law enforcement officers employing questionable methods to attain private and personal data from suspects face a new obstacle in the near future, the Chicago Tribune reports, as Apple has announced their plans to close a security loophole that allows unauthorized access of data despite facing a locked iPhone.

Apple will soon close an iPhone security gap allowing access to personal data on locked iPhones, an entry point that law enforcement agencies have used to gather evidence. An upcoming iPhone software update will shut down the Lightning port on devices after the phone has been locked for one hour. A

Oren Falkowitz, Area 1 Security CEO, and Jamil Jaffer, George Mason Law National Security Institute founder, debate over whether Apple is doing the right thing in closing a security loophole used by police to gain access to iPhone user data, especially in catching criminals.

Apple says that it is planning to release an iOS update that will block a loophole used by police to access iPhones. Law enforcement agencies and hackers have been able to exploit a handset's Lightning port to get around passcode limits and brute force their way into a phone. But with the upcoming update, Apple will shut down data access via the Lightning port after an hour if the correct passcode is not entered. See also: Apple updates App Store rules to prevent devs gathering data from contacts Apple slaps a ban on cryptocurrency mining apps Apple adopts a 'cautious…

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is closing a security gap that allowed outsiders to pry personal information from locked iPhones without a password, a change that will thwart law enforcement agencies that have been exploiting the vulnerability to collect evidence in criminal investigations. The loophole will be shut down in a forthcoming update to Apple’s iOS